'
[2009 – October – Saturday]
After returning home and seeing that Jean and Laura were still sleeping peacefully, I couldn't help but smile mildly, a warm glow appearing in my eyes before I silently moved into the bathroom.
Erecting a quick barrier to isolate the sound and light, I dispersed my clothes and took hold of the drenched little owlet next to my neck.
"Hu hu.", Arya hooted exhaustedly, though she still pushed her little head against my fingers, feelings of dependence and affection flowing into my mind through our connection.
As a predatory species, she wasn't bothered by the bloodbath that I had caused, instead, it had aroused her own ruthlessness and desire to hunt. But she was also still a baby, so she was very tired after the highly intense stimulation of her senses after hours of staying by side as I cut a bloody path through the HYDRA bases.
Experiencing the violent storm afterwards had tired her out even more but I knew that these experiences would also aid her in forging her temperament. After all, she wasn't just a tiny owlet but the companion of a Realm Lord, her horizons had to be different even if there was still a long long way until she was all grown up.
Plugging in the blow dryer, I set it on the lowest level and turned it towards her little figure sitting in my palm.
"Hu Hu!"
In response, Arya cried out happily and spun around a few times while flapping her tiny wings and nipping at my fingers with her sharp beak as if leaving behind tiny but sharp kisses, her soaked black plumes showing signs of drying after some time.
I expelled the salt and other remnants of the seawater from Arya's feather dress and cleansed my body with an invisible barrier as I didn't want to take another shower.
Obviously, the blow dryer's true function wasn't to dry Arya's feathers as I could have done that in a heartbeat but to make her comfortable, which worked perfectly as she soon closed her amber eyes and shrunk herself as much as possible while pressing her tiny form against my fingers.
She fell asleep surrounded by warm winds and I waited for a few more minutes before putting away the blow dryer and gently caressing the sleeping infant avian with the tips of my fingers as I left the bathroom and placed her back into her little house.
Turning back towards the bed, I was at a loss for a moment, not knowing from which side to enter the bed and which of the two girls I should make my 'little spoon'.
Plagued by indecisiveness for a moment, I realized that having two lovers definitely had its challenges.
Shaking my head with a faint smile, I eventually just grabbed myself a loose pair of grey linen pants and left the bedroom, sitting down in from of the piano.
Exhaling softly, I began to play, turning the complex and turbulent emotions that had accompanied these last few hours into musical notes that flowed around me and stayed with me even this late in the night.
Like fireflies dancing in a winter storm, assured of their imminent demise, they rejoiced, savouring every last tender moment of life without fear or hesitation. Precious like a child's laughter, their last dance was fleeting but nonetheless one to be remembered.
Bright yet sorrowful, a melody of unspeakable beauty emerged.
Without deliberately trying to, I composed a new play, never once opening my eyes while doing so.
'Les tempêtes d'hier'
…
Putting on one of her love's shirts to keep the cool night air at bay, Jean had quietly slipped out of bed and stepped into the living room, watching the seemingly lonely prodigy, who was both her lover and the apple of her eye, play a piece so beautiful that it captured her heart without giving her a chance to resist.
As powerful as she was, Jean could feel the faintest shadows of tragic violence in Elijah's mental presence but she didn't disturb him to ask what had happened or what he had done.
She simply chose to seat herself next to him, listening quietly as he played and accompanying him. Slowly, she rested her head against his shoulder, hoping that he would understand that she was there for him.
Jean didn't need Elijah to tell her what had happened as she could make a reasonable guess herself. The torn and blood-stained clothes, in which her love had brought back Laura, was telling enough to inform her that something had happened before.
The wild-hearted girl had most likely been attacked, she concluded.
And knowing Elijah as well as she did, Jean could only imagine what he had done to vent his anger on those who had dared to attack someone dear to him.
Her love was not a violent person by nature but she knew how terrifying Elijah could be once someone provoked him to unleash the darkness that he carried within himself.
Sorrowful and angry, Jean didn't pity his victims but detested them for forcing her love to shed blood because she knew how it burdened Elijah to do so. Even if her love did not show it, she knew that he constantly battled his inner demons and the very nature of Darkforce to remain who he was.
Jean knew that she could not do it if she were to find herself in his position nor did she think anyone else could.
His own overwhelming strength also pulled him further and further away from those who loved him, resulting in the occasional feeling of estrangement when it came to mortal beings like humans and mutants.
The fact that there were people that made him abandon his humanity even if only for a single instant, filled her with deep anger and heart-wrenching sorrow.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, Jean felt Elijah's warmth and inhaled his scent, which seemed to carry an additional unfamiliar note that reminded her of storms and waves.
It was sometime later when the gentle tunes subsided and her love stopped playing. He withdrew his arms and one of his hands came to rest atop hers while she still embraced him before he spoke up.
"I didn't mean to wake you, Firefly.", he voiced out with a whisper, his eyes carrying a gentle light as he looked at her with a soft smile that could almost be considered a tactical weapon in itself, its ability to steal hearts undeniable.
Shaking her head, Jean simply stretched her neck and connected their lips for a few moments, her tongue tenderly caressing his.
The butterflies in her stomach and the warmth rushing through her veins, as well as her love's addictive taste, assured her that this moment was real, comforting her amidst her worries and helpless anger.
Withdrawing a bit, their lips coming apart reluctantly, Jean raised her free hand to caress the right side of Elijah's face and cup his cheek after brushing back a few of his dark locks. In response, his eyes lit up in quiet joy and love and she thought that he almost looked ready to hum and purr.
"Let's go to bed.", she proposed gently before standing up and taking his hand, pulling Elijah with her as she moved back into the bedroom.
Jean had him lay down first, right next to Laura who was curled up like a kitten yearning for warmth, before she climbed atop Elijah's chest and pulled off her shirt, sinking into his embrace with a relieved sigh while baring her sensual curves to him without hesitation.
Heated skin against heated skin, the safety of her love's embrace made her tremble in comfort. She felt so small in Elijah's arms as if nothing else existed but his warmth and the strong beat of his heart.
Jean soon fell asleep again while absentmindedly drawing little hearts on the right side of Elijah's chest, smiling sweetly to herself as she listened to the powerful contractions of her love's heart.
Without a doubt, this was her favorite place in the whole wide world.